Flexbits launches Chatology, a better search app for OS X Messages

Apple's Messages for Mac has notoriously suffered from issues like lagging, missing messages and slower-than-death search functionality, but now a new app from the developer behind Fantastical looks to improve the OS X service.

Flexbits launched Chatology on Tuesday after repeatedly running into problems when trying to find content and past chats in Messages, noting the service would sometimes open random tabs, return inaccurate results or even freeze.

"It’s really bad. If you’ve ever tried searching in Messages you probably know what we’re talking about," wrote Flexbits in a blog post.

Chatology for Mac is basically an app that searches through Apple's iChat and iMessages. Not only is Chatology the self-dubbed "fastest way to find chats," but it also retrieves images and links.

The app doesn't support third-party chat clients, but it syncs directly with Messages for Mac's database and provides the ability to export conversations to plain text, filter conversations by content and sort conversations by date.

The app's free trial will last 14 days, and then users will need to shell out $19.99 (£13) for access. That's the same price tag Flexbits has slapped on its popular Fantastical calendar app for Mac.

In addition, Chatology is only available from the Flexbits Store. Why? Well, Apple's policies won't allow apps like Chatology to exist in the App Store.

Élyse is Los Angeles-based and has a decade of journalism experience. She sticks to technology reporting, with a focus on Apple and Google-related news, and has worked in many forms of media, including newspapers and online. She also holds a MFA in creative writing and a BA in multimedia journalism.